Posted on 04/13/2005 8:21:32 PM PDT by cyncooper
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay apologized Wednesday for using overheated rhetoric on the day Terri Schiavo died, but refused to say whether he supports impeachment of the judges who ruled in her case.
~snip~
At a crowded news conference in his Capitol office, DeLay addressed remarks he made in the hours after the brain-damaged Florida woman died on March 31. "I said something in an inartful way and I shouldn't have said it that way and I apologize for saying it that way," DeLay told reporters.
~snip~
DeLay seemed at pains to soften, if slightly, his rhetoric of March 31, when Schiavo died despite an extraordinary political and legal effort to save her life.
"I believe in an independent judiciary. I repeat, of course I believe in an independent judiciary," DeLay said.
At the same time, he added, the Constitution gives Congress power to oversee the courts.
"We set up the courts. We can unset the courts. We have the power of the purse," DeLay said.
Asked whether he favors impeachment for any of the judges in the Schiavo case, he did not answer directly.
Instead, he referred reporters to an earlier request he made to the House Judiciary Committee to look into "judicial activism" and Schiavo's case in particular.
~snip~
(Excerpt) Read more at story.news.yahoo.com ...
As DeLay recedes back into the woodwork.
I see a Trent Lott coming. Apologizing for something that needs no apology. Next the grovelling. When are the Republicans going to grow some nads and use the power that we gave them?
"I believe in an independent judiciary. I repeat, of course I believe in an independent judiciary," DeLay said.Somebody back from a visit behind the woodshed?
Quick, somebody tell me why I voted for the Party of Apologists last time.
Did you notice that DeLay apologized for saying things the way he said them? He didn't say that he was sorry for the content.
This kind of reminds me of when Bush apologized for the fact that people heard him call Clymer an a-hole. Bush did NOT apologize for the sentiment, only for being overheard.
If you ask me there's nothing to apologize for, as far as I'm concerned Delay and the House should have been tougher. The activist judges who would yank the plug and starve us to death deserve no support whatsoever.
I'm not liking this "independent judiciary" idea at all. I thought they were dependent on the Constitution for their authority. But I guess I was wrong.
Delay Ping.
Odd, isn't it!
The GOP controls the Presidency, the House, and Senate, and it's still almost as if the libs are still in charge. Makes me wonder why we always get so excited when we finally start ousting libs.
It's springtime. Maybe this'll be the season!
It is a reference to the three branches of government: Legislative, Executive and Judicial and the idea that they are independent branches while all should serve the Constitution.
Delay: "We set up the courts. We can unset the courts. We have the power of the purse."
A Constitutional power Congress does not exercise.
Why apologize? I guess I was pretty hot too! My whole family was and some of my friends were too.
Who wouldn't be if you are pro-life, and celebrate life and see a horrific heinous court ordered, state sanctioned death by starvation and dehydration of a healthy disabled defenseless innocent woman?
We all were told that it is the rule of law and to stand aside and let them starve her.
And, now they are telling us we shouldn't have said a word, any word? Our elected representatives of the people who vote to fill the rows of Congress with people that represent the citizens, the voters, and their representatives can't say anything?
What ever happened to our great First Amendment Right?
And, Tom Delay, man, don't let them make you apologize for saying it like it is. We have a voice too and depend on your voice to say it.
Wow, overblown rhetoric from the Terri crowd? I'm shocked!
Delay is a huge anchor on a dinghy.
Do you fancy that you sound measured and reasonable?
President Bush has reached out to DeLay in part and the reporter seeks to undermine it. Don't be so eager to take the bait.
Just a bit of friendly advice.
I "fancy" Bush as a liberal.
And I don't know what bait you're talking about.
BUMP for excellence in posting.
You said it all. DeLay just gave the dying socialist mainstream newsroons a power boost. Now they'll be all over him like Oprah on a ham. And he'll deserve it. How disappointing....
DeLay apologizing is a major-league smack down!!!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.